LIBYA
You will have seen that we issued a statement this morning on Libya, in which the Secretary-General said he is following closely the situation in the country.
He takes note of the vote taken on Thursday by the House of Representatives in consultation with the High State Council to adopt the constitutional amendment, which charts a path for the revision of the 2017 Constitutional Draft and for the electoral process. He also takes note of the vote by the House of Representatives to designate a new Prime Minister.
The Secretary-General calls on all parties and institutions to continue to ensure that such critical decisions are taken in a transparent and consensual manner.
The Secretary-General further calls on the parties to continue to preserve stability in Libya as a top priority.
And he reminds all institutions of the primary goal of holding national elections as soon possible in order to ensure that the political will of the 2.8 million Libyan citizens who registered to vote is respected.
ONE OCEAN SUMMIT
This morning, the Secretary-General addressed – in a pre-recorded video message – the High-Level segment of the One Ocean Summit, which is taking place in the lovely city of Brest, in France.
He said that the oceans are shouldering much of the burden of the three crises facing our planet: climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Mr. Guterres underscored the need to intensify efforts to protect the ocean and added that the second UN Ocean Conference, in Lisbon in June, is an opportunity to cement the role of the ocean in global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Secretary-General called for more effective partnerships to address land-based sources of marine pollution and he said it is time to end single-use plastics.
He also pointed to the need for the shipping sector to contribute to the necessary 45 per cent cut in emissions needed by 2030, and zero emissions by 2050, in an effort to keep alive our hopes of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, among other measures.
MADAGASCAR
A quick further update on the ongoing situation in Madagascar, following cyclone Batsirai.
This time I want to flag the support provided by our colleagues at the World Food Programme.
To support the government’s response, so far, WFP has distributed 10,000 hot meals in cyclone shelters in Manakara.
The agency has also begun the distribution of prepositioned food to displaced people. They are also bringing food to Mananjary. Elsewhere, cash distributions for nearly 1,400 households is ongoing.
WFP is supporting rapid assessment, including through an aerial survey.
Their Humanitarian Air Service is also operating an air bridge between the capital, Antananarivo, and areas impacted by the storm.
Finally, WFP is providing road transport for partners, and has deployed staff to assess IT needs for the humanitarian community.
TONGA
From Tonga, our Resident Coordinator, Sanaka Samarasinha, is working with the Government on the possibility of holding a meeting with donor partners next week following last month’s volcanic eruption and tsunami.
UNICEF is working on water and sanitation, as well as supporting Tongan authorities with environmental cleaning, latrine construction and logistics for distributing supplies.
For its part, the UN Development Programme is helping the Government of Tonga restore the provision of social services.
We hope to have the Resident Coordinator brief you next week.
LEBANON
The head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Major General Stefano Del Col, today chaired this year’s first Tripartite meeting with senior Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defence Forces officers in Ras Al Naqoura.
As you know this is General Del Col’s last Tripartite meeting. As we announced last week, he is wrapping up his assignment and the new head of the Mission will be Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain.
At today’s tripartite meeting, the General stressed that we must all play our part to move from the technical level towards the higher-level goal of a sustainable peace. He said that UNIFIL’s open line of communications with the parties remains vital, adding that through numerous Blue Line incidents, both the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces remained engaged, providing time and space for de-escalation.
WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE
Today, as you may or may not know is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Only one in three science and engineering researchers in the world is a woman. In his message, the Secretary-General says that this inequality is depriving our world of enormous untapped talent and innovation.
The Secretary-General calls on everyone to create an environment where women can realize their true potential and today’s girls become tomorrow’s leading scientists and innovators, shaping a fair and sustainable future for all.
DAY AGAINST USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS
Tomorrow will be the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers. It will also be the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The protocol has been instrumental in developing consensus that children have no place in war. It is now ratified by 172 countries. There’s a statement from Virginia Gamba on that.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST MONDAY
On Monday, we will be joined by Rein Paulsen, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Director of Emergencies and Resilience. He will brief you on the FAO’s Horn of Africa drought response. We’re also in touch with Stephanie Williams, trying to get her to be connected to this briefing.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Today we welcome the 54th Member State for paying its dues in full. That country is Mongolia and we say thank you to them.
